After PM’s fuel-saving appeal, BJP faces scrutiny over large motorcades
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to reduce fuel consumption due to the ongoing West Asia conflict has seen contradictory responses. While some leaders heeded to Modi’s exhortation, some others chose to ignore, inviting intense scrutiny.
Addressing a public event in Hyderabad on Sunday, Modi said petroleum products should be used only as needed.
“Today, the need of the hour is to use petrol, gas, diesel and similar resources with restraint. We must use imported petroleum products only as needed. This will not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war,” the Prime Minister said.
He also suggested using Metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles, utilising railway services for parcel movement, and working from home to conserve foreign exchange amid the crisis in West Asia.
In Bhopal, however, Saubhagya Singh Thakur, appointed as chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation, arrived in Bhopal from Ujjain on Monday with his supporters to take charge of the post. Videos of his convoy, consisting of several vehicles, went viral. The large number of vehicles caused traffic jams.
Similarly, Rakesh Singh Jadon, appointed as Vice President of the Khadi Village Industries Board, also arrived with a large convoy from Vidisha. The Opposition slammed the ruling party. The State Government recently made political appointments to various corporations and boards.
However, Small Industries Corporation Chairman Satyendra Bhushan Singh publicly arrived in an e-rickshaw, while Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar used an e-scooter.
Tomar said he was using an e-scooter in response to Prime Minister Modi’s appeal to reduce petrol and diesel consumption. Videos of Tomar using an e-scooter and BJP MLA Bhagwandas Sabnani riding an e-rickshaw went viral.
“Prime minister Narendra Modi has urged us all to conserve petrol and diesel, improve the environment, and conserve foreign exchange in national interest. For this purpose, I am using an electric scooter,” Tomar said.
Sabnani, MLA from Bhopal South-West, said he rode an e-rickshaw with his personal staff in response to the PM’s appeal. Similarly, in the national capital, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday travelled by the metro and then hailed an e-rickshaw to reach an official function.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has implemented strict austerity measures restricting, rather than promoting, the use of flights by ministers to save fuel, following a call for austerity from the Prime Minister.
Moreover, Ministers and senior officials in Maharashtra must now obtain prior approval from the Chief Minister’s office before using Government aircraft or chartered planes for official travel.
Adhering to Modi’s appeal, senior police officers in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district swapped their official vehicles for cycles as they headed to work on Tuesday, setting an example the call for public austerity.
Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh Chhavai, accompanied by his deputies, cycled from his residence to the district headquarters, urging personnel to walk or cycle to minimise fuel consumption whenever feasible, an official statement said.
Chhavai described the initiative as a step towards energy conservation, environmental protection and promotion of a healthy lifestyle, and said all officers and staff whose homes are near their workplaces should avoid using vehicles unnecessarily.
Additional Superintendent of Police Pushpendra Baghel and Deputy Superintendent of Police Sanjay Dhruv, along with several police personnel, also joined the SP by cycling to their offices.
The SP also appealed to all district police personnel to use bicycles or walk to work at least once a week to promote both energy conservation and personal health.
Speaking to reporters, he said citizens should contribute towards saving energy, particularly during challenging times when the country needs collective support.
“As the prime minister has appealed for maximum energy conservation, I urge the public and Government employees to avoid using vehicles as much as possible. If their homes are nearby, they should come on foot or by bicycle. It will be beneficial for their health and help save the country’s energy resources,” Chhavai said.
